The present invention relates to telephones and cordless telephones to which caller identification service is applicable.
Telephones and cordless telephones supporting caller identification service features informing a callee of caller information on a display or through a voice announcement. More specifically, received caller information and caller information registered in a receiving apparatus by the callee are collated. If the received information matches the registered information, the callee is informed that the incoming call is from a registered caller on display or through a voice announcement. For example, a distinctive ring may be used, or a recorded voice message is output to inform the callee that the incoming call is from a specific caller.
In conventional telephones and cordless telephones, caller information announced in voice form is available to the callee only when the caller is registered in the telephone. An unregistered caller cannot thus be announced in voice form. In addition, in the conventional telephones, the incoming call ring may drown out the voice announcement on caller information.
A telephone and cordless telephone allow caller information to be output in voice form even if a caller is unregistered.
The telephone includes a caller information receiver for receiving an incoming call ring and caller information; a caller information memory for storing the caller information; a voice generator for generating voice data from the caller information; and an audio output unit for outputting the voice data.
The cordless telephone has a base unit and handset. The base unit includes a caller information receiver for receiving an incoming call ring and caller information; a caller information memory for storing the caller information; and a voice generator for generating voice data from the caller information. The handset includes an audio output unit for outputting the voice data and establishes bi-directional wire communications with the base unit.